Direct Selling’s strength lies in its inherent design of inclusion: NITI Aayog

The NITI Aayog has underscored the growing importance of the Direct Selling sector as a key driver of inclusive and sustainable socio-economic growth in India.

According to Aayog, Direct Selling’s true strength lies in its inclusive design — creating livelihoods, empowering women, and extending entrepreneurship to rural India.

Advertisement

The remarks came during a high-level roundtable attended by Dr. Sasmit Patra, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Sanjeet Singh, Senior Advisor, NITI Aayog, along with senior government officials, domain experts, and industry leaders.

In his address, Dr. Sasmit Patra, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), said, “Direct selling is a crucial sector of the consumer economy, with a market size of over Rs 22,000 crore and the livelihoods it generates, in light of our vision for a Viksit Bharat and the $5 trillion economy. Discussions like these are essential to explore how governance mechanisms can be made more facilitative, enhance ease of doing business, and help bring in better and more effective policies and legislations.”

Acknowledging the direct selling industry’s journey in India, Sanjeet Singh, Senior Advisor, NITI Aayog, said, “Direct Selling’s strength lies in its inherent design of inclusion. The government of India took a landmark step by notifying the Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules, 2021. Sustainable progress, however, requires vigilance to protect consumer interests and maintain industry integrity.”

Welcoming the initiative and speaking on the need for the industry’s formal recognition, Rajat Banerji, Chairperson, FICCI Direct Selling Taskforce, said, “Direct selling bridges formal and informal retail, offering millions of Indians a dignified pathway to livelihood generation and growth through upskilling and entrepreneurial pursuits.”

On this occasion, Aakhya India, a leading communications and public policy research organisation, released its latest whitepaper on “Internal Trade & Micro-Retailing: Achieving Inclusive Growth and Last-mile Empowerment” in New Delhi.

Discussing the suggestions from the report, the speakers emphasised the need to bring the direct selling sector within the scope of India’s internal trade architecture, overseen by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).